First se razor

[hvacguy85]

So I acquired these today, really not interested in the techmatic ( part of the deal) but very interested in learning more about the gem, rough year of make, best blade to pair with and any advice on shaving with a se compared to de.

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[gvw755]

The Gem razor is the Featherweight and it is one of the later razors manufactured in the late 50's. It was the razor I learned to shave with and is considered to be a good introduction to the Gem types. It is light, very forgiving and on the mild side, but gives a great shave. As a beginner, I would start off with a Personna stainless Steel blade as it won't rust if you leave it in the razor. As for advice, just start off with the angle that the head gives you and go slow at first until you learn the characteristics of it. Don't apply any pressure as the blade is stiffer than a DE and is not as forgiving if too much pressure is applied.

Just remember to have fun.

Oh, and the Techmatic, remove the cartridge and wrap the razor and cartridge separately in tissue paper and put it where nobody can find it. You don't want someone to come across it and try to shave with it.

 

[hvacguy85]

Thanks, yea the techmatic just looks sketchy, definitely just keeping for novelty but looking forward to trying the gem

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[Salty O'Rourke]

You can source blades from Walgreen, CVS, Rite-Aid, etc. on a peg in the shaving section. Make sure the blades are made in the USA - some chains stock Korean SE blades (Dorco) which aren't much loved.

 

[Spang]

The Gem razor is the Featherweight and it is one of the later razors manufactured in the late 50's. It was the razor I learned to shave with and is considered to be a good introduction to the Gem types. It is light, very forgiving and on the mild side, but gives a great shave. As a beginner, I would start off with a Personna stainless Steel blade as it won't rust if you leave it in the razor. As for advice, just start off with the angle that the head gives you and go slow at first until you learn the characteristics of it. Don't apply any pressure as the blade is stiffer than a DE and is not as forgiving if too much pressure is applied.

Just remember to have fun.

Oh, and the Techmatic, remove the cartridge and wrap the razor and cartridge separately in tissue paper and put it where nobody can find it. You don't want someone to come across it and try to shave with it.

This is all spot on advice. Get some Personna stainless blades and give that Featherweight a workout, with no pressure. And definitely put that Techmatic someplace where the sun doesn't shine. It is a truly dreadful razor, and was so even when it was brand new.

 

[Zipslack]

The Featherweight is a wondefully mild, but efficent razor. I don't use mine too much because I have a sneaking suspicion that I would end up neglecting my GEM Jr 1912 and my FatBoy.

 

[ackvil]

Enjoy your SE razor. The Techmatic was the worst razor I ever bought. You can read about other opinions here.